Sony is a company which is not exactly loved by technologists, despite the fact it has come up with some damn fine technology - with my personal favourite being the MiniDisc format. The problem with Sony has always been that it was stuck in the old ways of doing things (proprietary, closed, DRM), and of course things like the rootkit scandal didn't help either. It seems like things are about to change, with Sony's CEO announcing a new direction for the company - focussed on openness.